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3 AND FANCIES Cf^ THE TOUR TO 



Mount Tamalpais and Muir Wood 

MARIN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA 

BY THE MUIR WOOD GUIDE 

FRED S. ROBBINS 




SAN FRANOISCO, CALIFORNIA 
PRICE - 15 CENTS 



COPYRIGHT 1915 

BY 

F. S. ROBBINS 






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MUIR WOOD NATIONAL MONUMENT. 



A gift to and accepted by the United States Government 
tTanuary 9, 1908, to be conserved for the benefit of mankind 
in perpetuity. A playground for the people, with proper 
restrictions. A forest primeval of giant redwoods in the lap 
of Sequoia Canyon, the hillside slopes of which are covered 
with a wonderful growth of foliage and flowers and ferns of 
many varieties, where naught save the call of the blue jay 
and the song of the brook disturbs the solemnity and majesty 
of the scene. A fruitful field for geological, botanical and 
entomological research. 

It is against the law to pull, break, destroy, remove, or 
bring into Muir Wood any flower, fern, tree or shrub. 

ON THE WAY. 

Leaving the ferry slip of the Northwestern Pacific Railroad, 
foot of Market Street, for Sausalito, the island on the right 
is Yerba Buena, a naval training station. The homes of the 
executive officers, the barracks, parade grounds, training 
ship, etc., are situated on the easterly side. Visitors are 
welcome. For permit call up Kearny 2940 Local 10. 

As the ferry boat leaves the dock, the larger of the two 
square buildings on the left on Nob Hill is the Hotel Fair- 
mont; that to the left Hopkins Apartments. 

San Francisco Bay has the greatest anchorage facilities of 
any inland body of water in the world. At high tide it has 
414 square miles; at low tide 390 square miles. It has a 
shore line of 416 miles. It is navigable in a southerly direc- 
tion to the Dumbarton Cut-Off, 28 miles, for vessels drawing 
not over 15 feet of water. Northerly to Port Costa, 27 
miles, and up Suisun Bay to aVllejo and Mare Island 3 miles 
beyond, it is navagable for the deepest draft vessels; also 
northwesterly to Sausalito and up into Richardson Bay for 
9 miles. 

Telegraph Hill, to the right, with its face disfigured, was 
in the early days the home of the elite of San Francisco. 
At present it is the Latin residence section. A lookout 
station for incoming and outgoing ocean craft is at its top. 



Then come Fort Mason, the Panama-Pacific International 
Exposition Grounds, U, S. Presidio, with its wooded section 
of eucalyptus and spruce trees; officers' row, the buildings 
with the red tiled roofs; company quarters at Fort Winfield 

Scott to the right. The large brick building at the shore 
line, projecting out into the channel, is an old brick fort — 
Fort Point. Its construction began in 1853, and was finished 
in 1856. Now you are looking out the Golden Gate, 8% miles 
from the Ferry Building. 

Let us cross the channel to the furthermost point on the 
right, or north, to Point Bonita, the lighthouse and life- 
saving station. From the Cfiff House or Seal Rocks to Point 
Bonita it is 2^^ miles, the widest part of the channel. From 
Fort Point to Lime Point on the north side of the channel 
the white lighthouse at the shore line is 1^/4 miles, the nar- 
rowest part of the channel. 

The island with the lighthouse on the southerly point is 
Alcatraz Military Disciplinary Barracks — or prison. Re- 
A^olving light. Keeper's home at base. Recreation grounds 
on the point. The building above the wharf contains the 
executive offices, while the large cottages above are the 
homes of the Commandant and executive officers. The small 
green cottages are company quarters, and the larger build- 
ing below is the headquarters of the detail of the day. The 
bake shop, laundry, incinerator and power-house for heating 
and lighting are above the shore line. Visitors not allowed. 

The large island on the right is Angel Island. The deten- 
tion quarters and the quarantine station is situated on the 
easterly side. For permit to visit call up Douglas 2312, 

Beautiful Belvedere is the point covered with bales (moun- 
tain laurel), cypress and eucalyptus trees. Not an island. 
It has many palatial homes and gardens filled with exotics 
from all over the world. 

Corinthian Island and yacht club and Tiburon are to the 
east or right. Raccoon Straits is the channel between Angel 
Island and Tiburon; it was the original channel of the San 
Joaquin (wau-keen) and Sacramento rivers to the ocean. 



SH3HT r^'iA aw 

Sausalito, a city of 3500 inhabitants, called the '^Sorento 
of America, " is on the left or west. It is here you take the 
electric train for Mill Valley on the left. 



ON THE WAY TO MOXJNT TAMALPAIS. 

The correct pronunciation is '' Ta-mall-pah-ees, " accent on 
second syllable, meaning "Land of the Tamals. " Its altitude 
is 2592 feet. 

Entering Blythedale Canyon, you pass various stations, such 
as King's, Blithedale, Marsh's, (Japanese garden on the 
left), and Lee street. The greatest curve is at the head of 
Blithedale, 90 degrees, with a radius of 70 feet. The beau- 
tiful home of Mr. Ralston White is next, and as the train 
rounds it a grand view of all the bay is before you. Keep a 
sharp outlook on the right for views of the peak. The 
average grade is 5 per cent, or a raise of 45 feet every 
minute. The steepest grade is 7 per cent. It has 281 curves, 
which if completed would make 42 complete circles. 

The Double Bow Knot, or Mesa, is half way to the peak, 
or Muir Wood. Here the railroad parallels itself five times 
in a distance of 300 feet, during which it has attained an 
added elevation of 90 feet. 

At West Point, in rounding the tavern, the outside rail is 
436 feet, while the inside rail is 414 feet. Look down at the 
left as you approach West Point, into Muir Wood, and after 
rounding the building observe the grand panorama on the 
right. You are now on the slope of West Point, going toward 
Tamalpais. Keep a sharp lookout for the curve where the 
train breaks away, turning to the right for the "Tavern," 
and observe the panorama below on the left. Seven little 
cities, and Mt. 8t, Helena, 55 miles northerly, and Shasta in 
the saddle just to the left, 255 miles northerly, 14,380 feet 
high. As 3^ou go under the overhead veranda look to the 
right, below; there is the Mesa most beautifully outlined. 

Go to the top of the peak, then come down and take the 
walk around the Race Track Trail; total time, one hour; get 
your dinner (a la carte), and then get ready for one grand 
slide in the gravity coaster to Muir Wood, eight miles — the 
experience of your life! 



WE ARE THERE. 

Pass over to the Miiir Inn; clieek your coats, grips, etc., 
and pass under the bridge, turning to the left, keeping to the 
carriage road or to the right-hand trail to the basin. The 
walk is one and one-third miles. 

Muir Wood was named after John Muir, a great friend of 
William Kent, who gave this 295 acres to the United States 
Government. It has an estimate of 34,000,000 feet of red- 
wood timber, 5,-500,000 feet of Douglas fir, 3,200,000 feet of 
rose or tan bark oak, as the principal commercial timber. 

The redwoods in Muir Wood National Monument are the 
coast redwood, or Sequoia Semperviren, which seek the lower 
altitudes of the Coast Range, along the fog belt, from Mon- 
terey Bay to the Oregon line, ranging in height from 100 to 
340 feet, and in diameter from 6 to 20 feet 6 feet above the 
ground. Coast redwood reaches the extreme age of 1373 
years. The Big Tree, or Washingtonia, is found in scat- 
tered areas throughout the Sierra Nevada Mountains at 
altitudes varying from 4700 to 7500 feet. In height it varies 
from 150 to 325 feet, and in diameter from 5 to 30 feet at 6 
feet above the ground. Stumps of big trees in the Converse 
Basin, Tulare county, indicate an age of 2200, 2300, and one 
found by Mr. Fry of 4000 years, each ring on the inside of 
the cambium, indicating one year 's growth. The Semperviren 
produces great quantities of seed. Unfortunately, however, 
the greater percentage is not viable and will not germinate. 
Quite a percentage of the remainder does not reach a favor- 
able spot for germination on account of a large amount of 
duff which prevents the seed from reaching the soil. Hence 
few seedlings are found, and the tree propagates principally 
from the stumps. The suckers form a complete circle around 
the parent tree; also family circles are formed, with the 
parent tree in the center of the circle. 

The Big Tree, or Wasliingtonia, reproduces from the seed. 
Redwood bears flowers, known as catkins, in clusters on the 
end of the branches. Female flowers develop into cones 
. which are oval; in clusters, reddish brown from % to ly^ 
inches long, near the top of the tree. The respiratory organs 
of the tree are in its leaves,, the little green tip of which is 
called the blossom. The outer bark absorbs moisture for the 



tree. It has no tap roots. The cambium, or inner protecting 
belt, divides its formative cells into two equal portions, one 
vitalizes the exterior, the other the interior. 

Lightning does not injure the redwood, the electrical cur- 
rent being carried from top to bottom, between the outer 
bark and cambium. Insects do not attack the redwood with 
any ajipreciable amount of damage except the tender shoots 
at the top. Fungi never attack the exterior of the redwood, 
but its spores, transmitted through the air, will enter an 
opening wherever the heart wood of the tree has been ex- 
posed through injury and so completely consume the interior, 
without any exterior indication of the process that nothing 
is left but the shell. The outer bark varies in thickness from 
Vi of an inch to 16 inches. It is long and fibrous, has no 
life, is devoid of resin or pitch and does not burn readily. 
The redwood has a tendenc}^ to harden rather than decay, 
especially when coming in contact with the earth. It is 
much used for shingles, telegraph and telephone poles, piling 
and building purposes. 

The fire which injured many of the trees occurred during 
the year 1875, but Nature has been lavish in supplying us 
with others, which now compose our beautiful forest. 

The trees which gather green moss are: The California 
Mountain Laurel or Bale; Mapai Gigantea or Brook Maple; 
Rose or Tan-bark Oak (Quercus Primus); the Alder, and after 
the rainy season begins a beautiful fern (Polystichum Muni- 
tim), covers the trunks and limbs. The prevailing bush on 
both banks of the creek is the Wild Azalia, one of the Rhodo- 
dendrun family. These have a white, salmon pink and purple 
flower. Two varieties of Willow also grow along the creek. 

The fern life is divided into the following forms: The 
common Polypody or Sword Fern; Polystichum Munitum 
(Maiden Hair Spleenwort); the Christmas Fern or Aspidium 
Acrostichoides; Woodwardia; the Pteris Aquilina (common 
Brake or Bracken); Five-finger; Gold-back. 

The principal flowers are: Wood Anemone or Wind Flower; 
an Oxalis; Clintonia Andrewsiana; Clintonia Bicolor; 
Anemone Grayi; Snaphalium Decurrens (Blue Larkspur); 
Whipples Modesta; Petasites Palmata (a Crowfoot); Dentaria 
California (Toothwort, Spring Blossom); Cynoglossum Grande 



(Hounds-Tongue, Elephant's Ear); Equisitum Telmateia (As- 
paragus Fern, Joint Grass, Pine Fern, Horse Tail Fern) ; Ber- 
boris NerA'osa (Oregon Grape, American Holly); Smilacina 
Stellata (False Solomon's Seal); Scoliopus Bigelovii (Fetid 
Adder 's Tongue) ; Zygadenus Fremonti; Vicia Gigantea 
(Large Vetch, Wild Sweet Pea); Ceanothus Cuneatvis Var; 
Memosus and Ceanothus Foliosus; Sphacele Calycina (Wood 
Balm, Pitcher Plant); Wild Horehound; Mimulus Glutinus; 
Disporum (Fairy Bells); Fritillaria; Lupinus Arborius (Yel- 
low Tree Lupine); Blue Lupine; Viola Peduncplata (Wild 
Violet, Wild Pansy, Johnny Jumpup) ; Iris Versicolor (Blue 
Iris); Trillium (Wake Robin); Malvatia Humile (Wild Holly- 
hock); Rosa Californica (Red Wild Rose); Brodecia Capitata 
(Wild Hyacinth); Myosotis Sylvatica (Forget-me-not); Poly- 
monium Carneum; Sinsirinchium Bellum (Blue-eyed Grass); 
(astilleja (Indian Paint Brush); Solanum Umbelliferum 
(Night Shade); Dendromicum Rigidum (Tree or Bush 
Poppy); Godetia Amoena (Evening Primrose, Farewell to 
Spring). 

There are no animals of any consequence in Muir Wood, 
except a few deer, fox coon and coyotes, and these are few. 



POINTS OF INTEREST IN MUIR WOODS. 

Open-air Theater, Barbecue Grounds, Ben Johnson's Cabin, 
built in 1902 on camping ground of the Tanial Indians. See 
the face on the tree. Cross first bridge down carriage road; 
turn to the left 100 yards to the third large tree on the right; 
return to road. Notice old stump and sucker trees, and the 
large family circle which evidently encircled the parent tree. 
New growth of redwoods encircling parent tree at left of 
road. Observe the large-leaf maples at the second bridge, 
and the scene in general. The bank of sword ferns (poly- 
pods) across the creek; Cathedral Grove, a representative 
growth of Sequoia Sempervirens. A monarch of the woods, 
.54 feet in circumference, about 210 feet high and possibly 
1300 years old. Fifty people have been in its interior at 
one time. Cross the next bridge to Bohemian Grove, where 
the Bohemian Club of San Francisco held their *<high jinks" 
from 1892 to 1895. They fashioned the tables and benches 
out of old redwood logs; the boards are called * 'shakes,'' and 
are well preserved considering their twenty-three years' ex* 



posure to the elements. Seventy-eight trees in Bohemian 
Grove have a diameter of more than 8 feet. 

Castle Gate, four grand redwoods on each side of the trail, 
and just beyond on the left a peculiar growth of the moun- 
tain laurel or baie. Next on the left a redwood splintered and 
torn, yet full of life at the top. Notice a redwood burl on 
the right, about 25 feet above the ground. This is very hard 
and workable into all sorts of pretty and useful articles; in- 
cited by a parasite, and has no deleterious effect upon the 
tree, or when taken off. 

Passing under the ''Baie," see what checked its progress 
to earth; also notice the ''Baie" ten feet beyond. 

Follow trail to left of the large table and observe the grove 
of redwoods on the left. The old charred trunk was without 
doubt the parent tree of this growth. In facing this family 
circle observe the beautiful pair of trees on the opposite side 
of the open space. Perfectly symmetrical, straight as an 
arrow, 240 feet high; a parent tree with a shoot from the 
root; not a double tree. 

Continue on down the trail, turning to the right, and when 
facing the creek you are circling the Largest Tree in Muir 
Wood, which is 61 feet 3 inches in circumference 5 feet 
from the ground and 255 feet high. Then cross the bridge 
and turn to the right. The first old grizzled redwood on 
the left is the Emerson Tree, dedicated May 25, 1903, to com- 
memorate the centenary of the birth of Kalph Waldo Emer- 
son, the great American poet. It is 43 feet 5 inches in cir- 
cumference, 210 feet high, and is one of the oldest, if not 
the oldest, standing tree in Muir Wood. 

Just beyond, and to the left, is the Gifford Pinchot Tree, 
the most perfect tree in the woods, perfect in symmetry, per- 
pendicularity, spread of base, detail and color of bark, un- 
injured by fire, no suckers or shoots. This tree was dedicated 
by the Sierra Club of San Francisco in May, 1909, in honor 
of the man who was instrumental in the taking over by the 
XTnited States Government of this delightful playground. It 
is 29 feet 1 inch in circumference and stands 225 feet high, 
and is possibly 1000 years old. 

Turn to the right and observe the second tree on the left. 
It is a Curly Redwood, a grand example. Makes fine veneer 



for tables, etc. A parasite is responsible for the ^'Marcelle 
wave ' ' like appearance. It permeates the entire tree. 

Notice the peculiar contortions of the ''laurels" just be- 
yond. The carriage road up hill to the left leads to Mill 
Valley, 414 miles; to the rig-ht the road leads to Frank 
Lagoon, the ocean, 4 miles, so retrace your steps via carriage 
road, observing the Largest Tree on opposite shore of the 
creek, and at first clump of redwoods on the left notice the 
Laurel or baie that has taken root the second time. Pass 
through Cathedral Grove and cross the bridge on the left, 

keeping to the lower trail. A large log at the base of a 
rockery seems to challenge further progress. On top of this 
rockery sits a redwood of fair size, having grown from the 
root of a tree situated in a crevice of the rock. Continue 
along the trail, crossing the bridge to the roadway; cross the 
bridge at the left and continue on upper roadway to Muir Inn. 

Have you had an enjoyable tour? 

EXTRA WALKS, 

Nature Trail starts from where the train stops, crossing 
two bridges and following contour of the canyon to Bohemian 
or Picnic Grove. 

The Scenic Trail. Pass down carriage road to first bridge; 
turn to the left up canyon to the end of trail, and then con- 
tinue on up hill to nearly the top, where a trail on the left 
intersects, going down hill. Take this and cross the railroad 
tracks to carriage road, and continue on to Muir Inn. 

The Facts assembled here are from highest authorities. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




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The Facts Are 

that you cannot get better 
Developing and Printing done — 
no matter what the cost. 

We pay particular attention 
to the conditions under which the 
exposures were made— ^whether 
under trees or out in the open. 

lYI M H O n 0( U U. SAN FRANCISCO. CAL. 
Kodaks and Supplies 



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